While some flights to the US from Britain have resumed, Hurricane Sandy is continuing to cause major disruptions for travellers from UK airports with cancellations remaining in place to the majority of East Coast destinations.

All Virgin Atlantic flights to and from New York JFK and Newark airports have been cancelled, including early departures tomorrow morning, but Boston and Washington services are resuming today.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has sent "a message of solidarity" to New York on behalf of Londoners.

Mr Johnson, speaking on board HMS Severn on the London Poppy Day, said: "We have sent a message of solidarity from Londoners to New Yorkers and to Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg and everything he is trying to do. It looks to me like a very well-planned civic emergency."

New York has evacuated the lowest lying areas of Manhattan and millions of people are without power.

Nearly 40 schoolchildren who are on a trip to New York have been forced to barricade themselves in their hotel after superstorm Sandy pounded the US east coast.

The pupils watching the news to see the location of the storm. Credit: Leicester High School for Girls

Thirty-eight students from Leicester High School for Girls - who are on a culture trip to the US - were due to travel to Washington yesterday but are stranded in New York after all flights were cancelled.

The girls were told to buy provisions before the storm reached New York. Credit: Leicester High School for Girls

All British Airways flights from Heathrow to New York due to go today have been cancelled due to superstorm Sandy, but flights to Boston are resuming.

The 12 scheduled BA flights to JFK Airport and three to Newark have been called off as the airports remain closed.

Virgin’s flights to Washington and Boston are also resuming today, but their flights to New York have also been cancelled - as well as some of the early departures from JFK and Newark on Wednesday.

Passenger and crew safety is our number one priority and we are continuously liaising with local authorities to assess the situation and minimise the disruption caused to passengers wherever possible.

– Virgin spokeswoman

American carriers including American Airlines, Delta and US Airways also had to axe some US services to and from the UK. Heathrow Airport has cancelled a total of 84 flights since the storm took hold on Monday.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has sent his support to New Yorkers after superstorm Sandy pounded the US east coast.

Boris Johnson. Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire

Mr Johnson said: "Looking at the news at the moment it has been quite an appalling story."

The storm has caused 16 deaths in the US and Canada but the London Mayor suggested that could have been higher if New York authorities had not acted as they did.

He said: "They took it very, very seriously and I think, had they not taken it so seriously, the consequences might have been even worse. I do think, as far as I'm able to tell, the New York authorities have prepared extremely well."

A total of 59 flights - 47 departures and 12 arrivals - were cancelled from Heathrow airport yesterday and many scheduled services will now not leave today.

British Airways axed all of its flights to and from New York, Newark, Baltimore, Washington DC, Boston and Philadelphia, and 11 of today's return flights to and from the East Coast have been cancelled.

They include flights to New York JFK, Newark, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia - though flights to and from Boston are planned to operate as normal, the airline said last night.